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Eleven programs earn NFCA Division I Regional Coaching Staff of the Year awards

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eleven programs were honored by the NFCA as 2018 Division I Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, announced the Association Tuesday afternoon.

Representing each of the NFCA’s 10 Division I regions, these respective coaching staffs – Oklahoma, St. Francis University, Michigan, Ohio, Liberty, Drake, Hofstra, Oregon, Arkansas, South Carolina and Arizona State – garnered Coaching Staff of the Year honors. These 11 programs, along with national champion Florida State, are eligible for the NFCA’s Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 27.

Central – Oklahoma

Overall: 57-5 Big-12: 18-0

Head Coach: Patty Gasso

Associate Head Coach: Melyssa Lombardi

Assistant Coach: JT Gasso

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Janie Reed

National semifinalist… Made seventh trip to the WCWS in last eight years… Big 12 Coach of the Year Patty Gasso reached 1,200 career wins (at Oklahoma) in Super Regional sweep of Arkansas… Big 12 regular season and tournament champions for second straight year … Recorded first undefeated Big 12 regular season in program history and became just second league team to accomplish the feat… No. 4 overall national seed… No. 4 in final USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll… Fifth straight NFCA Central Region CSOY award.

Great Lakes (tie) – St. Francis University

Overall: 39-19 Northeast: 16-0

Head Coach: Jennifer Patrick-Swift

Assistant Coaches: Patrick Swift, Katie McEachern

Director of Operations: John Patrick

Volunteer Assistant: Jamie Focht

Repeated as NEC regular season and tournament champions… Posted second straight undefeated NEC regular season… Participated in the Tucson Regional for second consecutive season… Took home seven All-NEC selections, including Player and Pitcher of the Year honors… Led Division I with 83 home runs entering the NCAA tournament and finished second overall, both NEC and program records… Third straight season finishing amongst the top-10 Division I programs in long balls, while leading the NCAA with nine grand slams in 2018.

Great Lakes (tie) – Michigan

Overall: 44-13 Big-10: 18-3

Head Coach: Carol Hutchins

Associate Head Coach: Bonnie Tholl

Assistant Coach: Jennifer Brundage

Volunteer Assistant: Alex Lagesse

Captured 20th Big Ten regular season title and 10th in 11 years… Participated in Lexington Regional, its 26th NCAA tournament appearance… Head coach Carol Hutchins was named 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year… Meghan Beaubien earned Big Ten Pitcher and Freshman of the Year honors and was a finalist for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year... Garnered two All-America honors.

Mid-Atlantic – Liberty

Overall: 49-14 Big South: 18-3

Head Coach – Dot Richardson

Assistant Coaches: Paige Cassady, Kasey Fagan

Graduate Assistant: Haley Fagan

Volunteer Assistant: John Cassady

Big South regular season and tournament champions… Reached Columbia Regional final and collected the first two NCAA postseason wins in program history… Regional wins over Hofstra and host South Carolina were the first against top-25 opponents since 2007… School-record 49 wins tied for seventh most in NCAA Division I… Posted consecutive 40-win seasons for the first time in program history… Won a program-record 19 straight games before falling to the host Gamecocks in the regional finals… Dot Richardson was named Big South Coach of the Year.

Mideast – Ohio

Overall: 40-17 MAC: 20-3

Head Coach: Jodi Hermanek

Assistant Coaches: Jillian Van Wagnen, Jeremy Manley

Volunteer Assistant: Brooke Donovan

Won first MAC regular season title since 1995 and captured the 2018 MAC tournament championship… Knoxville Regional finalist... Recorded first two NCAA postseason wins against Monmouth and James Madison… Posted back-to-back 40-win seasons for the first time in program history… Danielle Stiene was named MAC Pitcher of the Year.

Midwest – Drake

Overall: 45-12 MVC: 24-1

Head Coaches: Rich Calvert

Assistant Coaches: Tina DeAngelo, Kasey Griffith

MVC regular season and tournament champs… Reached the Eugene Regional final… Won their program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament games with two wins over BYU... Set program record for most overall wins and MVC wins… Recorded a season-long 24-game winning streak… Garnered MVC Coaching Staff of the Year honors… Mandi Roemmich was first-ever Bulldog to be named MVC Player of the Year.

Pac-12 regular season champions for the fifth time in six seasons… Reached WCWS for the fourth time in the last five years… No. 1 overall seed in NCAA postseason… One of two teams not give up a run during the regional round… Nine Ducks earned all-Pac-12 honors… Megan Kleist was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year… Ranked sixth or better every week in the USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll, including No. 1 in the final regular season rankings… Finished 2018 sixth.

South – Arkansas

Overall: 42-17 SEC: 12-12

Head Coach: Courtney Deifel

Assistant Coaches: Yolanda McRae, Matt Meuchel

Volunteer Assistant: Jordan Clark

Hosted and swept first-ever NCAA Regional as the 13th overall seed… Participated in program’s first NCAA Super Regional… Reached the SEC tournament semifinal, the Razorbacks best showing since 2001, by knocking off Kentucky and the tournament’s No. 2 seed Georgia… Mary Haff was a finalist for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year… Ranked 16th in final 2018 USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll … Head coach Courtney Deifel earned her 100th career victory on March 25… Program-high four players named NFCA All-Region.

Southeast – South Carolina

Overall: 49-17 SEC: 15-9

Head Coach: Beverly Smith

Associate Head Coach: Lisa Navas

Assistant Coach: Matt Lisle

Volunteer Assistant: Matt Stewart

Director of Operations: Kacey Friedman

Super Regional participant… Rallied to win three elimination games and capture the Columbia Regional… Finished third in the SEC regular season… Started season 20-1… SEC Tournament runner-up after first finals appearance since 2001… NCAA’s No. 9 overall seed… Set program records with 65 home runs, 309 RBI and a .979 field percentage… 49 victories are the most under Beverly Smith and the most since winning 49 in 1999... Ranked 12th in final 2018 USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll

West – Arizona State

Overall: 48-13 Pac-12: 16-8

Head Coach: Trisha Ford

Assistant Coaches: Carly Wynn, Katie Richardson

Volunteer Assistant: Jeff Harger

Director of Operations: Jenna Marks

Assistant Director of Operations: Taylor Green

Reached WCWS for the first time since 2013… Swept through NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals as the No. 8 overall seed… Trisha Ford was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year… Ranked seventh in final 2018 USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll… Ranked every week in the NFCA’s top 25… Finished third in the Pac-12 regular season… Seven Sun Devils garnered All-Pac-12 honors and six earned NFCA All-Region plaudits… Ford earned her 200th career win against California.